1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to computer data input and data manipulation devices, and more particularly, to a system and method for augmenting data generated by peripheral devices and for integrating the augmented data into a program running on a computer system.
2. Description of Related Art
Virtual reality systems are computer based systems that provide the experience to a participant of acting in a simulated environment that forms a three dimensional virtual world. These systems are used in several different applications such as commercial flight simulators, surgical training systems, and entertainment systems including computer games and video arcade games to name a few.
In virtual reality systems, the participant often wears a head-mounted device that enables viewing of a virtual reality world generated by the computer. The system also includes means for interacting with the virtual world, such as known data generation or manipulation devices. The data manipulation devices include known pointing devices, such as joysticks, or specially configured gloves that contain sensors and actuators, for interacting with objects in the virtual world. Additionally, a data generating body suit may be provided to enable the user to influence and to feel objects in the virtual world.
Computer generated animation is an increasingly prevalent media form. Computer generated animation is presently being used in such applications as full-length motion pictures, crime reenactments, short length films, television commercials, and children's cartoons. An expeditious method of creating computer generated animation comprises providing actors with all, or some, of the virtual reality equipment previously discussed, so that the wearer of the equipment can control the movements of a character in the animation, so that the character can act out scenes in the animation as directed. Since a director of the computer animation can view and direct the actions of an actor wearing the equipment as they are performing, the director can make any desired changes to the actions of the actor as they are performing to obtain the desired scene. Thus, the director can control the actions of the character as a scene is being performed, for generating the computer animation in real time.
It is known that virtual reality systems include a computer that processes data generated by the equipment worn on the actor for controlling the movements of an object, such as a character for example, in a computer animation. A disadvantage of known virtual reality systems, is that the data generated by the equipment and processed by the computer only enables the character controlled by the system to mimic the movements of the actor. Thus, if it is desired for the character to have exaggerated features or movements, such as facial expressions, the character controlled by the actor must first be created, or mapped, by the system with the desired exaggerated features.
A disadvantage of mapping exaggerated features to obtain the desired appearance of the character, is that the character's appearance is permanently altered with the exaggerated features. Thus, the character is no longer has a normal appearance if desired. Therefore, a substantial disadvantage of prior art virtual reality systems, many of which are used for creating computer generated animation, is that means are not provided for augmenting the data generated by the equipment and processed by the system to control the virtual reality character. Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide a virtual reality system that augments data generated by the equipment thereof, for temporarily enhancing the movements or features of a character controller by the system.
A prior art virtual reality system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,515,078, to Greschler et al. Disclosed therein is a system for receiving positional information and displaying a virtual world based on the positional information. The system includes a base and a chair with an attached monitor that may be rotated with respect to the base by the user of the system. A measuring device determines the rotational position of the chair. The system includes joysticks that have bases attached to the chair or the monitor so that they move with the chair. Data from the joysticks and from the measuring device are sent to a processor, which accesses a data base defining a virtual world and generates an image on the monitor. The monitor image represents apparent movement within and through the virtual world represented by the databases.
Devices have been provided in the prior art that measure the relative position and orientation of a body in space, then transmit relative data to a computer for processing the data. These devices may include a body suit that has a number of sensors, or receivers, for determining the position of the body in space. One such device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,945,305, to Blood. The device disclosed therein quantitatively measures the position of receiver antennae relative to transmitter antennae. The device includes transmitter antennae consisting of a two or three axis aparallel transmitter antennae that generates at least two DC magnetic vectors. A pulsed DC signal sequentially supplies the aparallel antennae with DC pules to drive the antennae, to generate the DC magnetic vectors. A like number of aparallel receiver antennae are provided to detect the DC magnetic vectors.
The number of transmitter antennae multiplied by the number of receiver antennae is at least equal to the number of degrees of freedom of the desired quantitative measurement of the position of the receiver antenna relative to the transmitter antennae. Means for compensating for the effects of the earth's magnetic field on the operation of the device are also provided. Additionally included are signal processing means to ascertain the magnitude of the detected DC magnetic vectors and to quantitatively compute the relative position and orientation of the receiver antennae relative to the transmitter antennae.
Although the devices disclosed in the above enumerated prior art references have improved features, there still exists a need for a vitual reality system that augments data generated by the equipment thereof for temporarily enhancing the movements or features of a character controller by the system.